


companionship.

by BlueFairyKino



Series: Driver!Niall AU [2]
Category: Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Driver!Niall, Gen, MORE BLADES, also corvin doesn't have one either, but yeah he's here, riiiiiiight?, someday it'll become an official tag, you didn't think i'd give niall only one blade
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-21
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2019-07-15 04:16:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16055372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueFairyKino/pseuds/BlueFairyKino
Summary: and the king gathered up followers, ones who believed in his cause, and though he both gained and lost, he never once chose to abandon his duties.(In which Niall begins to build up a roster of Blades, who slowly start to be less like battle partners and more like family.)





	1. Boy of Two Swords

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> am i the only one who noticed how similar corvin and niall kinda looked? bc they kinda do tbh. like, body-shape and eye-shape and hair style and all that.
> 
> ANYWAY YEAH niall's getting more blades bc i want him to have fRIENDS-
> 
> by the end of this lil collection of stories, he's gonna have four total.
> 
> key words "by the end".
> 
> :)

They were getting the hang of things. They could easily slip in and out of the castle by now, and Niall had improved tremendously in regards to using a sword and Arts.

But then, both he and his Blade came a realization. A very glaring issue with what they had planned.

Aegaeon.

"People will  _recognize_ you." Niall bit his lip. "My disguise works fine, but _you_ stand out. Everyone knows what you look like, and if we try to help people directly, then-"

"Your Majesty, I understand your concerns, but if you wish to think clearly, you _must_ calm down first." A beat. "For starters, you can stop pacing so rapidly."

Niall froze, realizing that he was much farther away from his previous position beside the throne than he'd thought he was, and quickly rushed back to his Blade.

Aegaeon continued. "The solution is simple, you know."

"In theory, yes, but Core Crystals aren't exactly common." Especially considering the recent Torna attacks on all the ships transporting them. Any ones available were being carefully guarded.

If he came as his disguised self, he wouldn't be able to even sneak in. If he tried to use his power as emperor to obtain one, he'd have to offer an explanation.

Both would go badly, in different ways.

The only other option was to try and find one out in the wilds, but that was even more rare, and came with its own amount of dangers. But really, he had no choice  _but_ to go with that option, but it'd probably turn out fruitle-

" _Your Majesty._ "

Niall sighed, once again walking back to the throne, sitting himself down to prevent any further pacing.

"My apologies, Aegaeon, I'm just...I'm  _restless._ "

"Understandably so." Aegaeon knew all too well how much his Driver wanted to help his people. In a way, he resented how well the both of them were known.

The Blade gently placed a hand on Niall's shoulder, offering him a gentle, patient smile. "For now, we'll simply go out and do what we always do. Even simply taking care of a few monsters helps the people greatly."

"...you're right. Thank you, Aegaeon."

 

***

 

They had decided to go towards the lower parts of the titan. They avoided the docks, not wanting to risk anything, but instead towards the area north of it.

They, of course had expected monsters.

They had not expected to see a load of boxes washed up on the shore, the edges of the Cloud Sea occasionally grazing them, as if attempting to pull them back in.

Curiousity overwhelmed Niall, and he and Aegaeon quickly moved to investigate.

"An accident, perhaps?" Aegaeon leaned down, trying to find any hint as to where the boxes came from. "Or an attack from a monster? Or perhaps..."

He didn't need to finish to put out the possibility of this being the work of someone with ill intent.

As Niall began looking through the mess, something got caught in the corner of his eye. Something he'd have brushed off, if not for what he and Aegaeon were discussing earlier that day.

A familiar, soft blue glow, peeking out from a pile of rubbish. And after clearing away it all...his suspicions were confirmed.

"Aegaeon, look!"

His Blade glanced over, only to full turn once he realized what Niall had found.

"Perhaps this is the reason why these have turned up here in the first place..."

"Who knows...it seemed well hidden."

...both of them knew what was coming. Yet even still, when Niall reached out to take the Core Crystal, he hesistated a little.

What would the Blade inside be like? Would they even be able to work together?

He was lost in thought until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He glanced up at Aegaeon, who lightly nodded.

...his mind was made up.

Niall reached out, picked up the crystal, and concentrated.

Memories flooded back as he felt the familiar rush of ether. When he had awakened Aegaeon, he had, at first, felt like he was drowning. Like everything in the room was nothing but water, slowly dragging him down the depths. But then it had lessened, felt more weightless, and he had been able to breath. It had been less like he was helplessly sinking, and more like the water was cradling him, protecting him.

But this...this was much, much different.

There was a blinding light, forcing Niall to squeeze his eyes shut. He could still feel the rays of light on him, not quite like the burning of fire, but close enough.

But like back then, it soon lessened. Began to feel more like he was under a gentle light, one meant to light the way through a dark place rather than blind whoever even glanced at it.

And then the light softened, and Niall opened his eyes, and was greeted by black feathers.

A boy stood before him, hair bright like the sun, outfit almost just as bright. A scarf (cape?) of black feathers was wrapped around his neck, waving as if a nonexistant wind was pushing it around. Two swords sat on his back, one dark and the other light. The crystal sat imbedded in his chest, resembling the shape of a bird in flight.

His eyes opened, and Niall was greeted by ones that resembled his own. Wide and blue.

The new Blade looked around in confusion for a moment, then turned to the boy. "Huh...different from what I likely expected, but...I'm guessing you're my new Driver?"

Niall was quickly brought out of his stupor. "A-Ah, yes. That is me. I am Niall Ardanach."

The Blade nodded, a light smirk on his face, though it quickly turned to a bright smile. "Good to meet you, Niall! The name's Corvin!" He then tilted his head. "Sooooo....am I gonna be allowed to see my Driver's face, or does that need to remain a mystery?"

...right, the mask and cloak. He didn't want to risk the cloak revealing him fully, so Niall simply decided to take off the mask.

"Yeah, that's more like it. Any reason for that whole getup, by the by?"

_Please let this not be awkward._

"Well..."

 

***

 

Needless to say, Corvin was surprised when he realized that his new driver was royalty, let alone the emperor of Mor Ardain. He'd started to try and be a bit more formal, but Niall had quickly denied all of that.

He treated his Blades with respect, yes, and he wanted that in return, but he didn't want them to be  ** _overly_** formal with him.

It just...wasn't entirely his thing.

"It's nuts, though." Corvin exclaimed as they climbed through the window into Niall's room. "I figured someone in your position would be too busy with royal stuff to go out and rumage through washed-up boxes."

"There is a reason we choose to go out at night, and in those garbs." Aegaeon leaned against the wall. "Who knows how the people would react if they found out about all of that?"

"Good point." He turned to Niall. "So, I'm assuming I should stay out of sight, then?"

"Mostly, yes. There are a few others here who are aware of this, but to be safe, you should only be seen around me when I am in that outfit." As much as Niall would love to introduce Morag and Brighid to Corvin, he just  _couldn't_ let them know what he had been up to.

"Right, so how 'bout this." With a smile, Corvin continued. "I'll keep eyes and ears open for stuff that might be going on, and we can take care of it together."

Niall smiled at the thought. "Of course. I look forward to working with you, Corvin."

And though he didn't notice it, Aegaeon smiled too, happy that his Driver had found someone who clearly had the same desire to protect that he did.

He could trust Corvin to watch over Niall whenever he could not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (RP Blog: ardainmaskedemperor.tumblr.com)
> 
> i'm not telling u all why something on the bio page is crossed out yall gotta put it together yourselves
> 
> anyway corvin is broken as hell and i love him for it. thank u based monolith soft


	2. Assassin of Evildoers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Niall and Corvin find what appears to be the attempted destruction of a Core Crystal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY GUYS IM ALIVE HOWS IT GOIN
> 
> its time for more self indulgence!!!! aka niall gets more frens, this time in the form of a certain darkness-type assassin who is both incredibly chill and also kinda needs to chill
> 
> his head is literally on fire my dudes

Things had definitely gotten better once they had met Corvin. At night, him and Niall would often go out, helping anyone who needed it and taking care of monsters they knew were causing trouble. Occasionally, when they were certain they'd be going somewhere without people, Aegaeon would join them.

It felt...nice. That sense of freedom was constant whenever Niall was outside the palace.

Not only that, but the three of them had overheard various rumors. Ones about a certain mysterious Driver helping people in the night. It felt nice to be talked about in this sort of light, even if most people didn't know it was him doing it. Unfortunately, he had also heard words of people wanting to investigate this further.

That...would be bad, to say the least. He didn't even want to  _imagine_ what would happen should his secret get out.

They were laying low tonight, just to be on the safe side. Simply exploring around an area they hadn't before. They didn't expect much to happen.

But something did.

"...eh? Niall, do you see that?"

The boy glanced over at Corvin, who was looking at something on a lower cliff. A look in that direction, and he quickly saw what the other had.

A soft, just-visible blue glow, peeking out from between a few rocks.

It only took one look between them for both of them to agree on it, and then, seconds later, they were climbing down the cliff face.

Being careful so as to not provoke the monsters lurking nearby, the two slipped over to the rocks, peered in-between them, and...it was just as they had suspected.

A lone Core Crystal, glow somewhat dimmed by everything covering and surrounding it, was wedged inside.

"How on earth did it...?"

"Hmm..." Corvin glanced around, then up. A troubled look formed on his face. "Y'don't think someone tried to get rid of it, do you?"

...as much as Niall didn't want to think of that possibility, it was still just that. A possibility, and a very plausible one, at that. Though as for what reason whoever did it had for tossing it off of a cliff to try and break it, he had no clue.

And really, he'd rather not think of what that reason might be.

"We can't just leave it here, can we?"

Niall looked back at his Blade, who had freed the Core Crystal, eyes widening somewhat. "You aren't suggesting...?"

"Well, the more the merrier, right? 'Sides, it'd be safer with two Blades instead of only one. Aegaeon can't come out with us ALL the time."

He...brought up a very good argument. Plus, Niall couldn't help feeling overwhelming curious about the Blade that might lie sleeping inside the crystal, the one that someone had most likely felt so threatened by that they decided to try and destroy it.

...the Blade wouldn't remember any of that, so perhaps...perhaps it would be alright.

Corvin held out the Core Crystal, and after a moment of steadying himself, Niall lifted it out of the other's hands and focused.

And the second he closed his eyes, he found himself unable to open them.

It was dark. He could feel the crystal's energy coursing through him, but couldn't see the signature glow or anything else. Not Corvin, not the cliff, not the monsters, nothing. No matter how hard he tried, he could see nothing but pure black.

But he wouldn't panic. He _c_ _ouldn't._ This might be the Blade's way of testing him, making sure that he was fit to be their Driver, just like he'd experienced with Aegaeon and Corvin. So he relaxed, letting the darkness take the time it needed.

And slowly, he felt the pressure lift.

Niall opened his eyes, and was met with the source of the darkness.

The new Blade frightened him at first, yes. His body was dark, and his face looked harsh. There were two large flags on his back, and a strong looking katana at his side.

The Blade's eyes opened as well, and though they looked as odd and intimidating as the rest of the being, they were also calm.

Perhaps he could relax around this one.

The Blade's gaze quickly rested on Niall, and swiftly moved to bow. "My new Driver, I presume."

Niall jumped slightly, then, expecting questions if he didn't, took off his mask, just as he'd done for Corvin (who was standing to the side, observing the interaction, just in case). "Yes, that is me." He bowed his head at the other. "My name is Niall."

"I see...it is a surprise, somewhat. I was not expecting one so young." The Blade stood, and his mouth curved into a soft smile. "Though, I would assume this means you're a quick learner."

Niall felt his face heat up, and when words failed him, Corvin came to the rescue, a bright grin on his face. "Yep! Trust me, Niall's quite the natural at this sort of thing."

This really only served to make him blush more. He soon heard a light laughter from the new Blade. "Well, that's a good trait to have, I say." He then nodded to the Driver. "My own name is Perceval. I shall serve you with all I can."

Whatever Perceval had been like before, whatever reason he had given someone to throw his Core Crystal off of the cliff...that wasn't here now. Niall couldn't see any of it. All he saw in those eyes was a loyal soul, ready to wield his sword to protect his Driver at any cost.

He felt the tension fade, and nodded with a smile.

"I'll be relying on you then, Perceval."

 

***

 

Aegaeon had been a bit surprised when Niall and Corvin came home with a new Blade, but after hearing where they had found him, agreed that what they'd done was likely for the best. For both Perceval and Mor Ardain.

A Driver somewhat affected their Blade, after all. If someone with ill intent had gotten their hands on that crystal...Architect, Niall didn't even want to _think_ about that scenario.

Like Corvin had been, Perceval was surprised to find out his new Driver's standing and power. Though, while he had stopped referring to him as 'Your Majesty' and just by his name, he couldn't help but feel like the other was still treating him with an overly-intense amount of respect...

"A-hem."

...he'd also learned that Perceval was _incredibly_ good at sneaking up on him. Niall practically jumped, quickly turning around in his chair to look at the Blade who had suddenly appeared behind him.

" _Please_ stop doing that."

"Apologies, Niall. However..." His face turned serious. "How long have you been awake, exactly?"

A pause. Niall glanced at the clock, almost jumping again when he saw that it was actually quite late. Had he seriously been working for that long?"

"M-My apologies, Perceval, it appears time got away from me. I promise, I'll get to bed wh-"

"If I leave you to continue working, you'll never get to sleep." His eyes then filled with concern, and Perceval knelt down to Niall's level. "Besides, the bags under your eyes are now becoming quite a cause for concern."

...oh no, he'd forgotten to put on concealer, hadn't he? Or had he taken it off, assuming nobody would see him that evening?

He...couldn't really remember...

"Niall?"

The boy blinked for a moment at the call of his name. The concern on Perceval's face seemed to have only grown.

...had he dozed off for a moment there?

Slowly, he felt a hand gently free the pen from his own, then felt that same hand carefully pull him up. Feeling out of energy, he simply let Perceval guide him to his bed.

It was only once his head was on the pillow that Niall realized just how tired he was. How long had it been since he'd gotten a decent night's sleep, anyway...?

His thoughts trailed off when he felt a hand, fingers sharp yet gentle, begin to lightly comb through his hair. With each soft brush, he felt himself begin to drift off more and more, and he only barely caught the words Perceval uttered.

"Worry not. I shall stay and keep you safe until you awaken."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (RP Tumblr/Ask Blog: ardainmaskedemperor)
> 
> idk why but perceval (and just the older male blades in general) give off a dad vibe to me. he's the dad friend now.


End file.
